Badgers

In the UK badgers are protected by domestic law under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. Based primarily on the protection of badgers from deliberate harm or injury this legislation also contains restrictions that may affect development work.

Badger territories usually consist of feeding grounds and one or more setts, often with several entrances. It is a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly interfere with an active sett or to disturb a badger occupying a sett.

Seeking early advice from OpenSpace will ensure that your development will comply with the law and help to avoid costly delays at a later stage. Our expert ecologists can conduct field survey work to identify presence/absence and potential impacts and our advice would include mitigation and methodology to avoid disturbance and satisfy planning. Where sett disturbance is unavoidable we can apply for a disturbance licence from Natural England to allow works to proceed following mitigation.

If mitigation is necessary, the cost of mitigation to accommodate badgers can often be smaller than dealing with public adversity or prolonging construction schedules.

If you have any queries regarding badgers, then call us on 01228 711841 or email enquiries@openspacegb.com. Our team of experts at OpenSpace will be happy to advise and can provide a no obligation quote if you wish.